On Monday I went along to Purejoy Laser & Advanced Skincare for my very first session of laser treatments. The week before I had went for a consultation and a patch test so I was ready to undergo the treatments as soon as I arrived for my appointment.

I was always conscious of the little thread like veins on my cheeks and nose but I was able to conceal them everyday with makeup. But lately they were beginning to stand out a little more especially around my nose and it was beginning to bother me as the makeup wasn't even covering them.

The hair on my upper lip has always given me grief ... the dreaded Ronnie ... I constantly wax it and because of my dark hair it was always so noticeable when it starts to grow back. To be honest it drives me mad!!

I was delighted when Joy told me that I could schedule both the hair removal treatment and the treatment of my thread veins in the one day. First up ... laser hair removal. Thankfully I have a high pain threshold so this treatment did not phase me at all. Ellipse hair removal is in fact the fastest laser hair removal system and is practically pain free in contrast to many laser treatments. The sensation felt similar to a rubber band snapping onto the skin.

As the treatment relies on absorption of light in the hair pigment, the most effective treatment is seen with dark hair... so that's great news for me. The lighter the skin, the more pronounced the distinction between hair and skin colour making the treatment easier. However Ellipse has pre-programmed settings for different hair and skin colours to adjust the energy output to your needs.

If you are thinking of having laser hair removal treatment please note it is important not to remove hair by plucking, tweezing, waxing or creams during the entire four weeks before the treatment. This ensures that as many hair follicles as possible contain a hair and thus can be destroyed by the light. It is also important to avoid tanning before and during the treatment period. Otherwise your tanned skin will absorb more light, which makes the treatment less effective.

Ellipse IPL hair removal treatment offers clinically-proven, safe and effective long-term removal of unwanted hair. Excellent hair clearance is obtained after only 4-6 treatments and clinical long term studies have proven that 77% hair is still away after 10 years. Ellipse professional hair removal equipment is suitable for all body areas including arms, underarms, back, chest, bikini line, brazilian as well as legs. This treatment offers painless permanent hair reduction delivering smooth skin for both male and females.

Now let me tell you I was definitely not looking forward to the treatment of my thread veins. The thought of laser beams on my face and nose scared the crap out of me....arrragh...But after weighing up the pros and cons I decided to give it a go. Just to be clear I would not let just anyone carry out this treatment... experience is required and you got to have total trust in your therapist.

Joy assured me that Ellipse uses short, safe bursts of light emitted from a flash-lamp to quickly remove those tin veins from your face or legs. For this treatment my eyes were protected by cotton pads and a cool gel was applied to my cheeks and nose. The glass prism within the Ellipse applicator guides the light to the skin in 10mm b 48mm, so several vessels can be targeted in one flash of light. The treatment time depends on the area to be covered and the number of distinct vessels to be treated. In my case the session lasted about 15/20 minutes.

This treatment definitely tested my pain threshold. I have to say I did not like the sensation one little bit. Once again it felt like a rubber band snapping onto the skin but this time followed by a warm/burning sensation lasting several minutes. However the cooling gel applied afterwards did help but the treated area appear quite red for maybe an hour or two after the treatment.

If you are considering the Ellipse Treatment of Thread Veins it is important to avoid tanning before and during the treatment period, otherwise your tanned skin will absorb more light, which makes treatment less effective. Also I would recommend have this treatment done if you have a few days off and nothing for doing or no where for going as there can be redness and swelling of the area after the treatment.

Thankfully for me the redness went down really quickly and the treated area only swelled a little. I avoided putting on make-up and creams for the day of my treatment but the very next day I was back wearing a full face of make up. I have to say I'm delighted with the results. I cant believe that after 1 treatment my thread veins are gone. Its actually amazing. The next day the area around my nose area was still slightly red even under my makeup but I suppose that's to be expected the day after the treatment. My pores were also more enlarged than normal so this is why its best to set aside a few days after the treatment to let the area go back to normal.